About me

.I have a passion for life and sharing life with others. My most fulfilling moments are spent enjoying simple things such as being in nature, reading, playing music, spending time with my family and friends, and discovering new places and cultures. For me, the point of life (if indeed it needs a point!) is simply found in experiencing, exploring, learning, expressing and sharing what it is to be alive.

From my passion for life came my love for the natural world and my interest in mindfulness and meditation. Why? Well, nature gives rise to all life (including our own!) and I have experienced some of my happiest, most beautiful and meaningful moments in nature. As for mindfulness and meditation, these are practical ways in which we can explore our experience of life within us and around us. My love of nature and interest in mindfulness led me to write Mindfulness and the Natural World Bringing Our Awareness Back to Nature, which was published in October 2013. My second book entitled The Art Of Mindful Birdwatching Reflections on Freedom and Being was published in June 2017.

I graduated in 2008 with a B.A. in Natural Sciences, Zoology from the University of Cambridge. Whilst at University I led an expedition to the Chilean Lake District with the aim of inspiring passion for nature and wildlife conservation in other students. I also spent a number of months volunteering in Latin America on wildlife conservation projects in both Chile and Mexico.

Since then, I have continued to dedicate my career to the protection of our natural world. I worked with the World Land Trust, an international conservation organisation based in Suffolk, UK. I now work as a Projects Manager with BirdLife International, the world’s largest partnership of nature conservation organisations, based in Cambridge, UK.

I have explored mindfulness, meditation and yoga continuously for the past 10 years through reading and through participation in many mindfulness, meditation, yoga and Buddhism courses. I have facilitated a number of meditation classes and workshops at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre and for BirdLife International, working with NGOs from across the world.

Though Mindfulness of Nature, I run mindfulness workshops, holidays and courses for a variety of different audiences with the aim of reconnecting people with themselves and the natural world. I strongly believe that mindfulness of the natural world is at the heart of creating a happier, more peaceful and more sustainable world.

2 thoughts on “About me”

In an anthology of poetry which I chanced to buy at Waterstones at the weekend I’ve found a short poem by a contemporary Australian poet called Les Murray, entitled The Meaning of Existence. I absolutely love it, and it puts me in mind of your infectious passion for the natural world of which each and every one of us is part. Here it is, sent with warm wishes from me.

The Meaning of Existence

Everything except language
knows the meaning of existence.
Trees, planets, rivers, time
know nothing else. They express it
moment by moment as the universe.

Even this fool of a body
lives it in part, and would
have full dignity within it
but for the ignorant freedom
of my talking mind.

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NEW BOOK RELEASED! Click on the image to purchase.

Birds can do wonders for our hearts and minds - if we simply pay them attention. This book reveals how mindfulness can enrich our birdwatching experiences - and explores how birds are, in turn, the ideal inspiration for inviting more mindfulness into our lives.

Claire says: “This book isn’t just for experienced birdwatchers; it’s addressed to everyone. It’s a guide to enjoying the inherent beauty of birds, whether you’re a novice or an expert. It’s about discovering that we can all learn from birds to welcome greater well-being into our lives. Watching birds is not only an endless source of wonder and wisdom, but also the perfect entry point to rekindle our sense of what it’s like to be truly human - and an integral part of the natural world. The world desperately needs more moments of communion between people and birds"